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Dean Rousewell October 22, 2014 –A treasure hunter has stunned archaeologists by locating an historic Bronze Age settlement – using just Google Earth.

Canny Howard Jones shunned his usual methods of finding ancient communities – and simply used the internet instead. He trawled satellite images for the sort of terrain that would have offered food, water and shelter for a prehistoric settlement.

Howard used Google’s overheard mapping site to zoom in on fields and farmland before pinpointing a spot in South Hams, Devon. The former Royal Marine then sought permission from the local landowner before heading down there to scour for remains.

To his amazement he soon unearthed old flint tools, pottery shards and scraps of metal thought to date back 5,000 years…MORE (Mirror.co.uk)

Kristi Turnquist October 22, 2014: It showed up as a polite-sounding query in my work email box after I wrote about Friday’s Season 5 premiere of “Gold Rush.” Clicking on the subject line, “question about gold rush,” I found this, from a reader who goes by “Ricki”:

“WHERE ARE DUSTIN AND FRED THIS YEAR?”

Well, Ricki, that’s a good question. Why has this season of the Discovery Channel hit begun with no mention of what happened to Fred Hurt and his son, Dustin Hurt, aka “The Dakota Boys”?

Our friend, the Internet, has some info. On his Facebook page, Fred Hurt posted about the father and son team’s absence from the show, which follows miners — including Oregonians Todd Hoffman and Dave Turin — searching for gold…MORE (OregonLive.com)

Kevin Fagan October 22, 2014: Here we go again — what is believed to be the biggest gold nugget found in modern times in California’s historic Gold Country is going on sale Thursday in San Francisco.

This 6.07-pound whopper is being sold by Tiburon coin dealer Don Kagin, the same dealer who is selling the $10 million worth of gold coins that made such a stir this year after they were found in a couple’s backyard in the Sierra.

The “Butte Nugget,” so named because it was found by a gold hunter in the Butte County mountains, will be unveiled at the prestigious San Francisco Fall Antiques Show. The show opens Thursday at Fort Mason.

The owner of the nugget asked Kagin to keep his name and the location of the find secret, a standard practice for anyone afraid of being swarmed by treasure-seekers and thugs. Kagin’s staff is still assessing the worth of the nugget and expects it to carry a price tag of $350,000 or more…MORE (SF GATE.com)

Lawrence Williams 22 Oct 2014: The first Swiss opinion poll regarding the country’s gold referendum, which takes place at the end of November, will have struck fear into the country’s establishment, giving those in favour of the changes a lead. The poll was taken before the Yes campaign has even presented its case to the people in any detail, which it will do in a press conference tomorrow. The establishment, on the other hand, is totally against the proposal, saying that the passing of the referendum would stifle the future financial management options of the country’s economic policy makers.

The poll proposal was started by Swiss People’s Party MP Luzi Stamm and two other MPs, with the 100,000 signatures required for a referendum obtained by early 2013. The Swiss People’s party is described as a national conservative and right-wing populist political party and is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 54 members of the National Council and 5 of the Council of States…MORE (Mineweb.com)

A haul of Viking treasure has been unearthed from a field in south west Scotland by an amateur using a metal detector. Derek McLennan, a retired businessman from Ayrshire, made the find in Dumfriesshire in September.

In total, more than 100 items were recovered, including armbands, a cross and brooches. Experts have said the discovery is one of the most important Viking hoards ever found in Scotland.

The items are believed to be worth a six-figure sum. Mr McLennan last year uncovered Scotland’s biggest haul of medieval silver coins. MORE (BBC Scotland)

Gold Rush, which returns with new episodes Friday, Oct. 17 at 9 p.m., follows intrepid gold miners in the Klondike region of Alaska as they wage an all-out war with the elements, the land and, most importantly, each other. Their sights are set on bringing in millions, but the harsh realities are sometimes too difficult to bear. Oh, by the way, bears like to pop up from time to time.

The fifth season will feature some well-known names and new recruits, including Parker Schnabel, Todd Hoffman, Dave Thurin, Jim Thurber and, of course, Tony “The Viking” Beets. Ultra fans can check out Gold Rush’s pre-show The Dirt at 8 p.m.

The Gold Rush faithful can expect a lot of change this season. We have new miners, new claims and new ways of getting gold out of the ground. There are a lot of twists and turns, and I am thrilled to say, more gold than we have ever seen in the show. Our viewers will have more to talk about than ever before. The two-hour premiere is shocking right out of the gate and will have both the faithful and the casual viewer on the edge of their seats.

What are the qualities that make for a good character/personality on Gold Rush? …MORE (HollywoodSoapBox.com)

The new season began Friday October 17 with a new crew. Here’s the official sneak peek

Summary: Returning for Season 5 is Parker, who proved himself in his rookie season mining the Klondike when he brought in over 1,000 ounces of gold worth $1.4 million. This time around, he’s set a lofty goal to double his take. Todd is also back after hitting rock bottom in the jungles of Guyana, South America, where he lost his land, most of his money, and ultimately his crew. Finally, Tony aka “The Viking,” and his team return after buying a $1 million, 75-year-old floating gold dredge he hopes will be his ticket to wealth.